Damping means for railway trucks



Nov. 6, 1951 c. L. ORR EFAL 2,574,348

DAMPING MEANS FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS Filed April 50, 1945 l 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Nov. 6, 1951 c. ORR ETAL DAMPING MEANS FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS 4 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed April 50, 1945 I ,0 a 4 2 2 I ILXHP 5 w M65; MW% 45 6 6 Nov. 6,1951 c. L. ORR EIAL 2,574,348

DAMPING MEANS FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS Filed April 50, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3I? I 17 v I' a 45 I IIIIIII 3144} Wow Nov. 6, 1951 c. 1.. ORR ETAL2,574,348

DAMPIIENG MEANS FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS Filed April 50, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4gwuemtom, C A 0 7 J 7f/65 ygqu Gummy,

Patented Nov. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAmlNG MEANS FORRAILWAY TRUCKS Claude L. Orr and James C. Settles, Columbus, Ohio,assignors to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, OhioApplication April 30, 1945, Serial No. 591,190

17 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in railway trucks, and moreparticularly to novel damping means for such trucks.

An object of the invention is to provide a damping means which can beactuated by at least one of the main load carrying coil springs of thetruck.

Another object is to provide damping means adapted to produce frictionalforces at the frame columns on both sides of the bolster opening andactuated by a single wedge member.

A further object is to provide a damping means for controlling thevertical motion of the bolster and which will not require the bolster toremain in a fixed position relative to the side frame in a directionlongitudinally of the truck.

With the foregoing and various other objects in view, the invention mayconsist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as willbe more fully described and particularly pointed out in thespecification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the device:

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a six wheel truck of theequalizer type and with one form of the invention incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation, partly inlongitudinal vertical section, of a portion of the structure shown inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line l-4of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a four wheel truck with another form ofthe invention embodied therein.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation partly inlongitudinal vertical section, of a portion of the structure shown inFigure 5.

Figure 7 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken on the line l'lof Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken on the line BS ofFigure 6.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the friction shoes.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, 9 deslgnates wheels whichsupport axles, not shown, carrying equalizers l0 and end frame membersH. Each end frame member is provided with a projecting horn l2 and theextremity of the horns are pivotally connected at !3 to the ends of thearms of the equalizer members It.

As is customary in this type of truck, each of the end side framemembers is provided with a bolster opening [4 defined by verticalcolumns l5, a spring seat It and a compression member l1. Supported byeach spring seat is a group of main load carrying coil springs I8, andthere are five springs in each group, three arranged at one side and twoat the other. The bolster system of the truck has portions or arms 19which extend through the bolster openings and rest on the springs, andeach arm may have the usual inner lugs 20 and outer lugs 2| to abutagainst the inner and outer sides of the columns It. All of thestructure so far described is conventional, and in accordance with ourinvention opposite sides of each bolter arm are provided with recesses22 and 23 for the reception of friction shoes 24 and 25, which slidablyengage wear-plates 26 fixed to the confronting surfaces of the bolsterguide columns. The shoe 25 is actuated by a wedge member 2'! resting onthe inner coil 28 of one of the load supporting springs, preferably themiddle one of the three at one side of the bolster opening. The wedge 21has an inclined side surface 29 sloping upwardly toward the shoe 25 andslidably engaging the complementary inclined surface 30 at one end of athrust member 3|, slidably mounted in the bolster arm for movementlengthwise of the truck. The members 2'! and 3| are provided withsubstantially hemicylindrical surfaces 32 slidably engagingcomplementary surfaces at the inner sides of the shoes 24 and 25. As thehemi-cylindrical surfaces are struck from horizontal axes, it will beunderstood that each bolster arm can rock relative to the shoes withwhich it is associated so that the damping means will function while thebolster is at various angles relative to a side frame.

Clearances, as indicated at 33, between the bolster and the shoes of thedamping device permit the bolster to float longitudinally of the truckwith respect to the side frame without affecting the operation of theclamping device. This feature is particularly advantageous inapplications where the damping device is used with a six or eight wheeltruck bolster of the type disclosed in the C. L. Orr application, SerialNumber 566,988, in which the bolster system is formed as a singleintegral casting the distance between the side frame column engagingportions of the bolster on the same side of the truck is held fixed bythe integral construction.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the construction illustratedin Figures 1 to 4,

inclusive, may be used with either a four wheel, six wheel or eightwheel truck.

The modification illustrated in Figures to 8, inclusive, is shownembodied in a four wheel truck, and in this construction, each sideframe 34 is provided with a bolster opening 3'5 through which an end ofa bolster 36 extends. In this instance, the bolster is guided by sideframe columns 3'! provided with wear plates 38 which are frictionallyengaged by shoes 39. Each shoe is provided with a substantiallyhemi-cylindrical shaped cavity 41. The latter extend into recesses 40 atopposite sides of the bolster and they cooperate with horizontallymovable thrust members M slidably mounted in the bolster. One end ofeach thrust member and the shoe with which it is associated, is providedwith a hemicylindrical surface 42, and the opposite end of each thrustmember is provided with an inclined surface 43, which surfaces convergeupwardly toward the center of the bolster. The inclined surfacesslidably engage a wedge ed that rests on the inner coil 45 of one of theload supporting springs 46. In this form of the invention it will beobvious that the wedge 54 andinclined surfaces 43 will cause the thrustmembers 4| to push the friction shoes in opposite directions against thewear plates of the bolster guide columns.

In both forms of the invention, the bottom of the bolster is aperturedfor the reception of the spring on which the wedge rests and it ismanifest that the structure illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, inclusive,may be used with either a four wheel, six wheel or eight wheel truck.The eight wheel truck may be of the type shown in the patent to Johnsonet al., 2,235,214.

While we have disclosed what we now consider to be preferred embodimentsof the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understoodby those skilled in the art, we .are aware that changes may be made inthe details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the inventionas expressed in the following claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame member provided with bolsterguide columns arranged at opposite sides of a bolster opening, loadsupporting spring means supported by the Side frame member, a bolsterhaving a portion extending into said opening and vertically guided bysaid columns, said bolster portion being supported by said spring means,friction shoes mounted in opposite sides of said bolster portion andslidably engaging said columns, and a wedge means for urging said shoesinto frictional engagement with the columns, said wedge means includinga wedge supported by said load supporting spring means, and a slidablethrust member movable substantially parallel to the side frame member.

2. In a railway car truck, a side frame member provided with bolsterguide columns arranged at opposite sides of a bolster opening, loadsupporting spring means supported by the side frame member, a bolsterhaving a, portion extending into said opening and vertically guided bysaid columns, said bolster portion being directly supported by a part ofsaid spring means, friction shoes mounted in opposite sides of saidbolster portion and having outer sides slidably engaging said columns,and wedge means for urging said shoes into frictional engagement withsaid columns, said wedge means including a wedge arranged in Saidbolster portion, supported by another part of said load supportingspring means and operatively connected with the shoes, one of the shoeshaving a substantially helm-cylindrical surface at the inner sidethereof and the wedge means having a complementary surface in slidablecontact therewith.

3. In damping means for railway trucks, at bolster, a friction shoearranged at one side thereof, and means for urging the shoe away fromthe bolster, said means comprising a horizontally movable thrust memberslidable transversely within the bolster, and complementaryhemicylindrical surfaces on the shoe and thrust member, in slidablecontact with one another and struck from a substantially horizontalaxis.

4. In a railway car truck, a side frame member provided with bolsterguide columns arranged at opposite Sides of a bolster opening, loadsupporting spring means supported by the side frame member, a bolsterhaving a portion extending into said opening and vertically guided bysaid columns, said bolster portion being supported by said spring means,friction shoes mounted in opposite sides of said bolster portion andenga ing said columns, a wedge supported by said spring means, a thrustmember interposed between one of the shoes and the wedge and actuated bythe latter, and means operatively connecting the wedge and the other oneof said shoes.

5. In a railway car truck, a side frame member provided with bolsterguide columns arranged at opposite sides of a bolster opening, loadsupporting springs means supported by the side frame member, a bolsterhaving a portion extending into said opening and vertically guided bysaid columns, said bolster portion being supported by said spring means,friction shoes mounted in opposite sides of said bolster portion andengaging said columns, a wedge supported by said spring means, a thrustmember interposed between one of the shoes and the wedge and actuated bythe latter, and mean operatively connecting the wedge and the other oneof said shoes, said thrust member and the last mentioned shoe beingprovided with contacting hemi-cylindrical surfaces.

6. In a railway car truck, a side frame member provided with bolsterguide columns arranged at opposite sides of a bolster opening, loadsupporting spring means supported by the side frame member, a bolsterhaving a portion extending into said opening and vertically guided bysaid columns, said bolster portion being supported by said spring means,friction shoes mounted in opposite sides of said bolster portion andengaging said columns, a wedge supported by said spring means, a thrustmember interposed between one of the shoes and the wedge and actuated bythe latter, and means operatively connecting the wedge and the other oneof said shoes, said thrust member having a curved extremity and the lastmentioned shoe having a curved surface complementary to and slidablyengaging the curved extremity of the thrust member.

7. In a railway car truck, a side frame member provided with a bolsteropening and guide columns, load supporting spring means supported by theside frame member, a bolster having a portion extending into saidopening and vertically guided by said columns, said bolster portionbeing supported by said spring means, friction shoes mounted in oppositesides of said bolster portion and slidably engaging the columns, a wedgesupported by said spring means and operatively connected with one of theshoes, and a thrust member actuated by the wedge and operativelyconnected to the other shoe.

8. In damping means for a railway car truck, a bolster arm, frictionshoes arranged in opposite sides thereof with clearance between theshoes and bolster to permit relative rocking between them, each shoebeing provided with a hemi-cylindrical inner surface, and wedge meansfor forcing the shoes away from one another and including members havinghemi-cylindrical surfaces complementary to and slidably engaging thehemi-cylindrical surfaces of the shoe, one of said members being a,thrust member arranged in and slidable horizontally and transversely ofthe bolster arm.

9. In a railway car truck, a side frame member provided with bolsterguide columns arranged at opposite sides of a bolster opening, loadsupporting spring means supported by the side frame member, a bolsterhaving a portion extending into said opening and vertically guided bythe columns, said portion being supported by said spring means, frictionshoes mounted in opposite sides of said bolster portion and slidablyengaging said columns, a wedge, and thrust members interposed betweenthe wedge and the shoes and actuated by the wedge for urging said shoesinto frictional engagement with the columns, said wedge being supportedby said spring means.

10. A railway truck as claimed in claim 11, in which the spring meansincludes inner and outer coils and the inner coil extends through thebottom of the bolster portion and supports the wedge.

11. In a railway truck, a side frame member provided with a bolsteropening, load supporting spring means supported by the side frame memberand including inner and outer coils, a bolster having a portionextending into said opening and vertically guided by the side framemember, said portion having a bottom resting on a part of said springmeans, friction shoes mounted in opposite sides of said bolster portionand slidably engaging the side frame member, a wedge in said bolsterportion supported by said inner coil of the spring means, and thrustmembers interposed between the wedge and the shoes and actuated by thewedge for urging said shoes into frictional engagement with the columns.

12. A railway car truck as claimed in claim 9, in which the thrustmembers and shoes are provided with contacting hemi-cylindrical surfacesstruck from substantially horizontal axes.

13. In a railway car truck, a side frame member, guide columns carriedby the side frame member providing a bolster opening therebetween, abolster end portion having a top wall and a bottom wall extending intosaid bolster opening, springs supporting the end portion of the bolsteron said side frame member, a friction shoe mounted at one side of theend portion of the bolster engaging one of the guide columns, saidfriction shoe having a concave cavity therein, a thrust member mountedbetween the top and bottom walls of the bolster end portion movabletransversely of the bolster, a convex end portion on said memberengaging the friction shoe within said cavity, and resilient actuatedwedge means urging said thr-ust member transversely of the bolster endportion towards the friction shoe.

14. In a damping mechanism for a railway truck, a bolster end portionhaving a top wall and a bottom wall, a friction shoe arranged at oneside of the bolster end portion having a con-,- cave cavity therein, athrust member slidable transversely within the bolster between the topand bottom walls, a convex end portion on said thrust member engagingsaid friction shoe within said cavity, and wedge means engaging theother end of the thrust member urging said thrust member transversely ofthe bolster end portion to move the friction shoe outwardly with respectto the side of the bolster.

15. A friction element for the damping means of a railway truckcomprising, a shoe member, a fiat surface on said member providing avertical friction face, said member having a concave hemi-cylindricalopen cavity in a side opposite the friction face struck from a generallyhorizontal axis, and a chord extending along diametrically oppositeedges of said cavity being substantially parallel to said flat face.

16. In a damping mechanism for the bolster of a railway car truck, anelongated thrust member, a convex surface forming one end of said thrustmember, a surface forming the opposite end of the thrust member inclinedat an angle at less than ninety degrees with respect to the longitudinalaxis of the thrust member, and said convex surface being symmetricalabout said longitudinal axis.

17. In damping means for a railway truck, an elongated thrust member, asubstantially hemicylindrical surface struck from an axis intersectingand at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the thrust memberforming one end of said member, a substantially flat surface forming theopposite end of the thrust member, and said fiat surface lying in aplane parallel to the axis of curvature of the hemi-cylindrical surfaceand inclined at an angle of less than ninety degrees with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the thrust member.

CLAUDE L. ORR. JAMES C. SETTLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 972,921 Ritter Oct. 18, 19102,053,989 Goodwin Sept. 8, 1936 2,053,991 Goodwin Sept 8, 1936 2,129,408Davidson Sept. 6. 1933 2,180,900 Goodwin NoV. 21, 1939 2,255,960 BarrowsSept. 16, 1941 2,365,198 Lehrman Dec. 19,1944 2,365,199 Light Dec. 19,1944 2,413,458 Light Dec. 31, 1946

